Tails of a 17th Street Geisha

So this guy I know from friendster for many months now, Andrew, aka "Farmer," told me hours before his trip to MD to visit friends that he was coming up to my hood! I invited him to crash @ my place because he was coming a day earlier and was going to stay @ a hotel since his friend was out of town. That doesn’t make sense… hmmm… well anyway, he came over and Gianni was hanging out. Paul joined us and we went to Pizzaria Paradeiso. Then we went to Octopus Lounge. Then we partied with some old people who happened to be @ the Octo lounge. We went back to their hotel (not in that way, sickos) because they spoke incessantly about a "party room" and I thought they had free booze (not that I would have enjoyed it, but it might have made for an interesting story to be at the Hilton where Reagan was shot, partying with a bunch of people old enough to remember it!)

Anyway, I made friends with the Djs @ the Octo lounge and might party with them on Friday….

So we go back to the hotel. They were lame and one of the old guys was really nasty, "I’m buying drinks, don’t worry about it. All I ask for is love in return!" WEIRD!!! 

Then we walk to Adams Morgan and go to a couple of bars. We had a blast! Andrew is EXTREMELY interested and a great conversationalist. Not a scary Christian after all! hehehehe

Now we’re sitting around my computer staring at my screen (he’s laying on my bed trying to tempt me, hahaha!) while I type this shit and it’s kinda weird.

I can’t post photos on friendster because I’ve reached my quoto on images uploaded, so I’m going to link to his blog and hope that he posts pictures from my cell phone camera!

Every 2 years, for the last 12 years, my organization has put on a major international conference for pulmonary hypertension patients, medical professionals and supporters. For the last 6 months people @ my office have worked hard for this moment and for the last 3 weeks or so, we’ve all been working nervously round-the-clock because most of us have never been to a PHA conference before and had little to compare our work too. I thought I was going to be stressed out, tired and working my ass off this weekend. I was a little stressed @ times, very exhausted, and indeed working my ass off, but it was SO much fun.

Highlights from the conference:

1) Seeing a TON of pulmonary hypertension patients moving around in wheelchairs, walkers, scooters and slowly on foot, but smiling and eager to learn and meet others. They came from South Africa, Canada, Australia, India, and Mexico! I ran into a group of girls from D.F. Mexico and had a great conversation that has motivated me to get help in translating all of my support group leadership materials.

2) making amazing people and connecting with some very closely in spite of having only the smallest pockets of time to chat with folks.

3) getting big good-bye hugs from Darby Hetrick, a shy, 3 foot tall, adorable, tiny, big-bright blue-eyed, 7 year old girl who smiles frequently in spite of having pulmonary hypertension for some time now.

4) seeing the product of many countless weeks of working until 8-11pm at night unfold successfully. I had an abundance of volunteers show up at their assigned time and even stop by to see if we needed help. I had the largest turn out in conference history to the 2 volunteer trainings that were organized during conference.

5) giving a speech on volunteerism and having a German doctor seek me out afterwards to let me know how inspired he was to work with patients. he also asked me for tips on getting volunteers and we will work together for his first German PH conference. Of course we also spoke about the world cup and I accidentally let it slip that I was disappointed Sweden lost against Germany (to a german!)

6) Finding the energy to wake up every morning at 5:30 am to workout for an hour. I would schedule it so that I could work out and get into my station by 7 or 7:30am! I have now learned that I am capable of anything!   I realized that my adrenalin can keep me going for at least 5 days. We got in on Wednesday and worked round-the-clock until Sunday afternoon.

7) Managing to party every night with volunteers, patients and staff. After spending 16 hours each day in the hotel without escape, we all had major cabin-fever. For our sanity, we would go for a walk each night and I would convince my coworkers, friends and patients to duck into a pub really quickly for a drink or two.  One night, we even watched lawn-bowling on the rooftop of this one pub!

haivng a board member of my organization tell me that I need to get into stand-up comedy after my 5 minute speech thanking volunteers. I said, "apparently, I need no introduction" (when my boss and PHA president walked off the stage without introducing me.) He quickly ran up and started introducing me by saying: "Debbie does Support Groups. Debbie does the Helpline Volunteers. Debbie does special event fundraising…" I interrupted him and said: "Don’t go there Rino. We don’t need to bring in Dallas. I mean, I’m ‘doing’ Houston [site of our 2008 confernece] already, isn’t that enough?" Later I said, "Volunteers bonded during and after our shifts. For example, I had a great time last night with Support Group Leader Sue Mace’s husband Mike. No wait! I didn’t mean it like that! He was bored, I mean, there was a large group of us that went out…!" It was Sunday morning, the very end of conference and yet another 7am breakfast, and I was making 1100 very exhausted  and often-conservative/christian patients and medical professionals laugh at sexual innuendos and raunchy jokes!

9) getting the attention of local newscasters by being a very rambunctious, obnoxious, and fowl background fixture in their major windows (a la Good Morning America or "Today"). I have pictures of me fake-flashing them, it’s hilarious but I hit my quota on pictures I could upload on friendster

10) As corny as it sounds, I feel like I’m a part of something big, something worthwhile, and something vital. That I’m making a difference in the lives of very courageous people who, in spite of physical constraints that leave them breathless, tired and in pain, continue to work for the betterment of other patients who also suffer.

In the aftermath of her diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension in 1998 (when doctors told her she had 2 years to live) my sister Alex told me that i have to live my life and not move to Texas to take care of her to be with her in her last days. "God has a plan" she said. As christian-y as that is, I listened to her and eventually found a way to do something for her with this organization. I am so extremely happy about my "job" and this conference was a great big old manifestation of the results of our hard work and reasons why we need to continue to work tirelessly for this cause!

It’s the summer solstice!

(technically tomorrow the Sun is in Tropic of Cancer at 8am, thanks SMART ASS MATTHEW! there, you got your shout out in this blog, now keep reading!)

Anyway, I had weird incidences occur today. I got a ride home from a coworker who normally goes to other places and not directly home from work. I caught her on the way out to work and she gave me a ride. This time, she stopped by a drug store, which was great for me because I needed to get some things. I meandered passed the hair color and got a box, thinking of my old friend David, aka Peepers. Peepers cuts and color hair and is a stylist–a VERY GOOD one. Recall my short hair of Summer 2005–it was all the rage on 17Th and R (of course I’m kidding) I got the hair dye even though David is in Delaware and I haven’t spoken with him in AGES.

Well, a group of us go out to dinner and walking to the restaurant we see the longest shooting star in history. Green, long, bright and very close to the horizon. It went about half the way, clear  across the sky and ducked behind a house out of our vision. Everyone in the street saw it and I gasped so loudly that people probably thought I had seen a ghost! Domingo thought it was a terrorist attack, Paul thought it was Aliens, and I knew it was a simple shooting star or meteor. Man, that was a sign that the solstice was going to be magical… but what would happen at 10pm on a random Tuesday night?

We were at Cafe Luna and the server was this guy who used to have the hots for me–seriously! I thought he was gay the first time I met him because he was very HOT so I didn’t pay him any mind. Anyway, because of our server, we start talking about what makes a good waiter, and I mention how David/Peepers use to wait tables @ various places and how Old Ebbitt Grill made him memorize the very origin of nuts being served in the Nicoise salads.

Then out of the blue I get a call. It’s the front door! I had a period of about a year of having no security cards (they just disappeared out of the blue) so I had the front door rigged to call my cell phone. So sitting there at the meal, the phone rings and I say aloud, it must be one of the front desk receptionists buzzing to be let in. Instead of instantly pressing 9 to let them in, I start to talk and it is DAVID! Back in DC from Delaware!!!

You might be rolling your eyes, but David and I have a very spiritual connection. We used to do EVERYTHING together and would dabble in spiritual matters ALL the time. Our paths would cross in the most bizarre ways–I ran into him partying in Baltimore (which both of us NEVER do and it was a rare occasion that we didn’t discuss this trip but ran into each other at a bar!) I believe the shooting start was a sign that David was back in DC.

I was only able to spend but a very short amount of time with him because I have yet to pack and it’s 11:22pm and my flight is early in the morning, but seeing him was very spiritual and intense. We’re like, soul mates, I swear!

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TOP 10 Thing I Am Obsessed With This Summer
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1) Nation. Partying at this unbelievably cool club, talking about it’s closing, talking about the people I’ve met there, reminiscing about past fun times (aaah, Luke Slater! man, Junior Vasquez on my last night in DC!)

2) Downloading and listening to every song that Daft Punk has ever crafted or mixed.

3) The pain in my hips. Why do I hurt when I get out of bed in the morning? Why do I hurt walking down stairs more than up? Why can’t I run? Why do the ellipticals hurt now? I also hurt in my lower back. Fuck. I’m all shades of fucked up! This can’t be because of running. Alright, I’m calling the doc on Monday morn.

4) The World Cup. I canceled an afternoon date to watch Italy vs. USA (and that was a GREAT game that I’m glad I didn’t miss out on!) I insisted on eating @ Ruby Tuesday’s because the bartender allowed us to turn up the volume on their TV and because we didn’t realize that we couldn’t get home fast enough from shopping to catch Australia v Brazil. I’m freaking out because Mexico plays on Tuesday morning–how do I get out of work for 2 hours in the morning before I fly out to Minneapolis? SHEESH!

5) Men. Instead of spending time thinking about where I am in life, what I want, what I need, if I’m mature enough or ready or even have time for any kind of relationship beyond dating… Instead of THINKING and self-exploration, I’m out there proactively meeting guys without regard to what I want beyond the first date! That guy I met last night was SOOOO cute and sweet. Must remember to pay visit to Bus Boys and Poets when I get back from Minneapolis (work conference that we’ve been preparing for since December, well for a while before that even!)

6) Work. I’m not obsessed about it, I just spend too much time there. I pull out my house keys to get into the office when it’s locked.

7) weight training. since I can’t run, I lift weights and you have GOTTA see these guns–my arms are fierce!

Having fun! My old best friend is back and we’re taking over the city! Paul’s carpe diem attitude has got me doing things I haven’t done in AGES. Thursday night at the Octopus Bar, closing down Velvet, dancing in the streets to the beats blasting from my cell phone! I am already sad about his departure back to school in August! what will I do now? uuurrgh!

9) My sister Susan. Since she’s died little things make me want to cry.

10) Woot.com. Visit this site and love it!

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Things I used to be obsessed with:
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1) Gay men (how quickly I forget pride and that last b

2) Gay clubbing

3) Running (*SIIIIIGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH*)

4) All other forms of working out

5) Ex-boyfriends. sort of. Bryan was a trip!

6) Tripping

7) My next door neighbor. Things have quieted down a bit (KNOCK ON WOOD) since the gun slinging days of the past.

Friendster and Myspace meet ups. Thank God I don’t do that shit no more!

9) Cleaning my house. Now that Paul is here, everything is dirty! Who cares?

10) Decorating my house. Why buy a rug for 200 bucks when I can buy cute shoes and run around the city with Paul in ‘em?

I’m home. I survived another night of gay clubbing.

Paul, Domingo and I went to Velvet again tonight/last night, whatevs. We cabbed down to the Southeast and partied at Nation. I had 3 "saves" by guardian angels. First: Melissa. She was the bathroom guard @ nation and warned me about Billy, this guy that I met who also worked @ Nation and who gave me VIP treatment (he got VIP access @ Club Deb…nyuk nyuk)  Anyway, Melissa told me that all the guys who work @ Nation should be boiled before you touch them because you gotta kill the bacteria and all the shit they carry! YUK! She said that they all fuck around with a different girl a different night. I guess I was the "DJ Dan-girl of the night" for Billy. Luckily we didn’t do much. hehehehe

Then, this other guy started talking to me and out of the blue Mariam (a friend I met AGES ago who is a bigger fag-hag than me!) pulled me away and yelled @ him, "she’s not interested." I indeed wasn’t but we being polite but she told me that he was a total creepy hetero that preys upon women @ gay bars.

Finally, Paul hooks up with this guy Clifton and all of us cram into a cab and go to the Diner in Adams Morgan. Bad idea because the hood was SOOOO PACKED with club goers eating pizza in the street and making out… well, we went to Pizza Bolis because the line was too long at the Diner and since I went out on a date with the manager there (Don’t LAUGH, according to Paul and Domingo, he has a great body and cute face, HOWEVER< on this date he talked me under the table) Anyway, Asif gives us all free pizza and drinks. Paul and Clifton head home and D, M and I are trying to figure out what to do. I’m wearing this INCREDIBLY HOOTCHI ass dress and the girls are out… I’m afraid to walk the 5 blocks home because we could get mugged or worse. We ask a cabby and he says 9 bucks. My ass. So I yell at this cute guy driving by himself, "give us a ride?" and he DOES! D, M and I hitchhike with this guy who starts telling me his name (David, I think), where he works (Bus Boys and Poets), that he was coming home after working a shift, that he would hang with us but has to go home and crash. He was actually even more cute up close. I should have asked for his number! He was h-o-t and Domingo and Mariam both thought he was kinda into me! Who knows. Oh, so DAVID was the third guardian angel! He kinda looks like this guy Nick who I used to have the hots for.

It’s 4:45am and I simply must go to sleep!

Why do I try to deny my inner and outer fag-hag? So what if I am  only able to interact with 1 out of 10 people on this planet? In Washington, all of these "ones" are confined around 22nd and P to 12th  and  U.  They’re easy to find and if I don’t stray out of these areas, I might be able to relax and not worry about what people think! I’m too outrageous and Queenie for the general public. Seriously! I talk too readily about taboo topics like sex, drugs, alcohol, partying and other frivolous things that I find myself at odds with other breeders, socially awkward! NO, I don’t think that’s it. I don’t know why I have a hard time socializing in hetero circles. Perhaps because half of them are conservative? No, that’s not it. I don’t know why, but what’s weird is that I’m the reverse Paul (my b/f/f)–he has a hard time becoming friends with other gay men! All of his friends are straight women and bisexual men. It’s weird.

Maybe my problem is only with "the Man." Straight men. My feminist years and then isolation in the gay community has made it extremely hard for me to kick it with straightees. Perhaps that’s why I don’t spend much time talking to them when I go on dates and immediately take it to a place where talking is not necessary?

I’m SO awkward on dates. It’s SO forced. who are you, what do you do, where do you go, what do you like, tell me about your family… urgh, it’s like a job interview. I am never good meeting someone because I’m thinking about how I’m getting sized up and what if I say something too outrageous. Also, if I act all Queenie, I’m SURE it will scare the dude away. I need someone EXTREMELY gay friendly, like my ex bf, John. When I met him I thought he was gay and I acted like myself! We were PERFECT together and if circumstances were different we might still be together–perhaps!

Anyway, gays aren’t just in Dupont. I know I said 22/p to 12/U, but actually, the homos are moving into Adams Morgan. Like pied piper charming the rats out of the gutters, I have heralded the gays to Columbia and 18th. I can’t take credit for that, but it appears as though more and more of my friends are hanging in my hood. It makes it too easy for me to avoid straightees. well, someone at work kept reminding me all day long that i was turning 30 next year and it made me think that perhaps I should settle down? NO WAY! I’m not ready for my DEB-utante ball. I would rather be alone than unhappy! It’s not fair, but it’s okay. I’m going to make it anyway…

*ps* I went to the Octopus Bar under Cafe Japonaise with Paul and ran into Ry and his new boy Tony. That bar is the bomb. We made friends with the bartenders, DJ’s and everyone in the place and ended up dancing to D&B until it closed down. That place is SO much fun! Paul is still @ Apex where I left him there, drunk as a skunk…

This was my first Pride sober. It was not bad. I must admit that I’ve been battling a cold and weird body aches all week long. My hips have been hurting like a mother fucker–even sitting down! I got the best massage of my life by this guy during the Pride festival. He was working a booth and told me that he does house calls and could get rid of the knots in my hips (or gluteous minimus!) in no time… well, for a price. however, he was SO good and his price was cheap!  I’m totally going to take him up on it this week. I’ll be sure that Paul is around so that I’m safe–he was kind of weird! JUST KIDDING.

Work is going to be SO chaotic this week, the second to last week before our major-ass conference in Minneapolis.  This Pride weekend was my calm before the storm…

Man, this blog post sucked.

I am having a hard time getting over someone. We had been sporadically chatting over match.com before I met Bryan last summer and then we reconnected months later in April and starting chatting again, finally meeting on the night of my birthday. He’s 3 years younger than me, is completely spontaneous and fun, chatty and interesting, with more energy than me! I blogged about him saying how cool he was and stoped short to avoid jinxing it. Well, I did it!

After this first night of great conversation on the stoop of my building at 3 in the morning, we meet up later that week. Each subsequent meeting, in spite of our best efforts, ended up becoming booty calls. The only time we hung out, save watching the X-men on opening night, was at my house or his and were all spur of the moment. He and I were both too busy to actually make plans.

However, before we started hooking up, he would say things like, "oh, let me take you out to dinner" and "you have to take me to that electronica-night @ DC9" and etc., I think we both allowed our relations to move in a direction of convenience and purpose (being f’ buddies.) Well, last week I got stood up by him, after getting all hootched out and cute. We made plans on the fly (yet again) when he called and said, "I’m totally pumped. let’s go party" on his way driving home. He told me he would call in 30 minutes to figure out meeting time. 30 minutes later (and after I got my hair-did) he calls to flake, "I’m sorry, I gotta lame out…" and something about errands he needed to run early the next day. I was fine with it while on the phone because I had originally been planning on going to Cobalt to meet up with Chris, but something really pissed me off. In that instant, it became apparent that I wasn’t even being treated like a friend. So I called back, explained things and he was tired so we would talk the next day… but we didn’t talk and I haven’t spoken with him since.

What makes me sad is that he is exactly the kind of person I imagine I would get along with–someone who is high-energy, pumped by working out, who loves electronica, who laughs a lot and finds life and people funny, who does things on a whim, who kicks it with gays and crazy people, who likes to dance, who stays up and wakes up early depending upon situation (so I guess, erratic sleep and spontaneous)…. aaaaah. I was nervous around him because I really admired him and liked him for his genuine and open atitude.

God. I didn’t want a boyfriend but I had to end it. I didn’t want to be treated like less than a friend. Now, I’m getting hit on by the biggest losers in DC, as usual. Boring, plain, and who expect me to entertain them and talk the whole time. I’m sick of dating on match.com!

I don’t know why it saddens me, but I think about the other guys out there and I cringe. Surely there are fun, spontaneous, liberal, dancing, electronica-listening, well-dressed, funky, fresh, adorable, HOT, guys out there in this damned city of suits and seriousness? Damn! I miss this guy!

I have had the craziest last couple of days. I’ve already clocked in 26 hours at work and it’s only Tuesday. Monday morning, I got up at 4am, had breakfast with Roz at 5, and then proceeded to the gym for one of the best endorphin driven climaxes of my life. I swear to God after 40 minutes of the ellipticals and a quick 1 mile run (until my heel starting giving problems) I nearly got off, when getting off of the treadmill.

I had goosebumps, a massive smile on my face, I was sweaty, a little tired, my muscles felt warm and my body was completely relaxed. All morning long I was whistling at my office and smiling like I had some big secret or had just returned to work from a walk of shame and night of fun.

I got up this morning at 5am and went straight to work. My body was sore from weights and didn’t want to push it. I worked from 6:30-9:00 and I’m ready to collapse.  I’m gearing up for Pride. My dear friend Henry is visiting from Orlando for Gay Pride in Washington DC. He’s coming on Thursday and I figure if I get all my work done during this crunch time, we can party through the weekend.

I’m so excited because I think I got a major hookup at Nation. aaah Nation. Friday night was bangin’ house and Saturday night was old school R&B and fun anthemic club and top 40s with the homos. I’ve been to Nation 5 times in the last 3 weeks and I’m pretty sad that it’s closing. I’m finally realizing how easy it is to get there (even alone) and how worth the cover/cabs/drinks are because of the music, atmosphere and clientele! When I was there on Saturday, perhaps because of some trick I did with a lollipop, one of the door guys gave me a vip tour… heheh

I have to laugh because a friend said he gave me a VIP tour because I gave him a vip tour… of my booty! Well, it didn’t go that far (but possibly because of a text from drunken friends threatening to leave because I disappeared.) Well, this guy who works @ Nation may hook up my cover next week and I’m actually more interested in getting in VIP for Bad Boy Bill in July. OOOoooh I just can’t wait! Did you know that Nation has a third floor above the main dance floor? I had no idea! I feel like I"ve been there before but extremely drunk and too out of it to realize. I nearly passed out looking down on the dance floor, but there were couches to sit down and relax! Why oh, why, do I like sneaking off into places where I shouldn’t be!? I love the adventures. We ended up having a mini-dance party in the streets of 17th and P after brunch with strangers @ Annie’s. Paul and I even entertained the idea of Sunday mass @ Club 5, where the party goes on until noon. What a weekend!

It’s 10:30pm and I should have been asleep a half hour ago… night!

No drinking, no drugs, no cigarettes, no sex, no friends. It was just me and the music (corny, I know, but homos should immediately pick up this Madonna/Britney reference!)

I had plans with some friends to go to Nation and they bailed at the last minute. Roz’s date went well, Paul was too tired, Amit was with his other fag hag, Spinach had to get up early, Filip was in NYC, Crispanic had another gig and his Ozio set ended at 3am, Gianni would not traverse to the Southeast (but he would if it were Secrets or Wet or some other place with male go-go dancers.)

Long story short–if I wanted to see DJ Dan in what would be the 7th to the last night of Nation, I had to go stag, solo, alone, solita, sin amigas…

But I NEVER do anything by myself…

but I love DJ Dan.

But it’s already midnight and I’m kinda tired…

but DJ Dan will get my pumped and awake.

But I will have to cab and not share it with anybody…

but you haven’t been to Nation in 2 weeks and they’re closing soon!

So my friend Michael convinces me to go. Crystal Method and DJ Dan were AWESOME. CM mixed New Order, Prodigy and Adam Ant! DJ Dan mixed in Dee Lite, then Grandmaster Flash,  and later Fat Boy Slim with incredible results–it was AMAZING. I ended up going and partying until 5am.

Paul was right–I did make friends. I always had some guy to dance with, but actually, I had to keep pulling them off of me because the music was SOOOO good that I preferred to have the space to dance alone and move around the dance floor than have these guys grinding up against me–but they were all very nice about it. When I told one of them, John, that I arrived at 1am, he said, "so you’ve already danced with 5 guys and I’m the next in line!" (it was 4am at that point and I guess he noticed I had danced with some other guys… whoops)

(picture to the left is one of my new friends who insisted on taking a picture together. I look like an alien!)

So I got tired and one guy I danced with decided we should go hang out outside. We get a drink first (which he apologized profusely for not being able to pay, "he’s broke" and besides, he tells me that bartender threw him out the week before for drunkenness and he can’t get tossed out.) So we grab drinks, go outside and started talking… I’ll let the dialogue speak for itself:

Deb: so where do you live?

Boy: Arlington. Virginia. A-town. (then he laughs maniacally)

Deb: You shouldn’t admit that to people in public. I live in the city, Adams Morgan.

Boy: where’s that?

Deb: WHO doesn’t know where Adams Morgan is? It’s North of Dupont. (he shrugs) You don’t know Dupont??? How long have you lived in Arlington?

Boy: My whole life! (then at that point I’m baffled, lived in Arlingtonhis whole life and doesn’t know Adams Morgan?) I went to college in Arlington, and art institute, but I dropped out (then he tells me of how his parents destroyed his credit and maxed out his student loans, poor thing.)

Deb: That sucks. What can you do to get out of it?

Boy: Well, actually. I’m sorry I couldn’t get your drink, but I’m broke. I’m looking for a web job and have been searching for weeks, but I figure I could always work at Bennigan’s if I’m in a pickle.

Deb: How old ARE you?

Boy: My birthday was May 20th, I just turned 20.

So I laughed and went back to the dance floor to enjoy the rest of the night. Of and I forgot to mention his reaction to me not drinking, smoking or doing drugs: "you don’t seem like a good girl!" hahahahhaha